The Power He Knows Not
by SlytherinNinjaKnight
Summary: The Dark Lord's reign of terror ended on October 31st, 1986 when he attacked the Potters. No one is sure what happened but the miraculous victory exacted a heavy price. The Potters' eldest son, Harry, was somehow stripped of his magic and the younger Potter, Andrew, was pronounced as the Boy-Who-Lived. This tale will tell the true story of that night and what happened as a result.
1. A Dream and A Mission

**Disclaimer:** The _Harry Potter_ universe is NOT mine! I do NOT own any of JK Rowling's masterpiece, aside from copies of her books and the films. All of it belongs to JK Rowling, Warner Bros and Scholastic Books. I am just having some fun in JK's sandbox. The only thing that I do own are the several OCs that I have created to inhabit my story.

* * *

 **Timeline of Events**

 **1959:** Sirius Black born (November 3rd)

 **1960:** Lily Evans (January 30th), Remus Lupin (March 10th), James Potter (March 27th) and Peter Pettigrew (May 17th) born

 **September 1** **st** **, 1971:** Lily Evans, the Marauders and Severus Snape enter Hogwarts

 **June 19** **th** **, 1978:** the Marauders, Lily and Snape all graduate Hogwarts

 **August 12** **th** **, 1979:** James and Lily marry

 **September 19** **th** **, 1979:** Hermione Jean Granger born to Anthony and Emma Granger

 **July 31** **st** **, 1980:** Harry Potter born to James and Lily Potter

 **September 16** **th** **, 1984:** Andrew Francis Potter born to James and Lily Potter

 **December 18** **th** **, 1984:** Benedict Granger born to Anthony and Emma Granger

 **February 1985:** Sybil Trelawney gives a Prophecy to Albus Dumbledore in the Hog's Head Bar

 **October 31** **st** **, 1986:** Peter Pettigrew betrays the Potters, Voldemort attacks Godric's Hollow and attempts to kill the Potter children, fails and vanishes, Harry's magic is stripped away and Andrew is proclaimed the Boy-Who-Lived

 **March 6** **th** **, 1990:** Rose Charlotte Potter born to James and Lily Potter

 **July 31** **st** **, 1991:** Harry does not receive a Hogwarts letter

 **September 1** **st** **, 1996:** Andrew begins Hogwarts, Sorted into Gryffindor

 **July 1997:** Harry completes his GCSE exams and opts to join British military

 **September 1** **st** **, 2001:** Rose begins Hogwarts and Sorted into Ravenclaw, Andrew named prefect

 **June 24** **th** **2003:** Final Task of the Triwizard Tournament, Andrew kidnapped, Voldemort returns to human form, Harry's dream (start of story)

* * *

 **June 24th, 2003**

 **FOB Endeavour**

 **Somewhere in Afghanistan**

 **0330 GMT+430**

Corporal Harry Potter sat upright in his bunk, hand instinctively grabbing the combat knife he kept strapped to the underside of his bunk. Looking around the dimly lit bunkhouse, Harry slowly regained control of his breathing and lowered the knife. He noticed that his watch shown brightly in the gloom, its face showing 03:47 in bright blue numbers. Harry fell back onto his bunk, his mind racing as he tried to recall what had awoken him. Harry closed his eyes, taking deep even breaths as he attempted to think back on what had disrupted the little sleep Harry had gotten. ' _For God's sake, I only got back from patrol two hours ago,'_ Harry thought as flashes began to reappear in his mind's eye.

The images were disjointed however and seemingly made no sense. He could see a graveyard with a manor house atop a nearby hill. In the graveyard there was a grave marker in the form of what looked like the Grim Reaper, complete with a scythe. There had been someone bound to the grave marker as well, it was a young man with dark hair (Harry couldn't tell exactly what shade of hair due to the low light) but what he could make out was a pair of startlingly familiar green eyes. Harry knew of only two other people with that color of eyes beside himself: his mother and younger brother.

' _Andrew!_ ' Harry realized with a jolt. The scene then shifted as Harry spotted a short man walking around what seemed to be a cauldron the size of a hot tub. Andrew began struggling mightily against the ropes binding him to the grave marker as the man approached him. Harry's eyes narrowed when he saw the man pull a large knife from his robes, and the hand that held the knife was missing a finger.

Harry watched as Andrew threw his head back in pain as the man cut into Andrew's arm with the knife. Harry's fists clenched as he saw his brother cut, and dimly he could feel a tingle in the tips of his fingers not unlike a static charge. The man had returned to the cauldron and let some of Andrew's blood fall into it. There was a great white flash that made Harry see stars, and when the stars finally cleared, Harry finally saw the man's pointed face and beady blue eyes.

' _Wormtail!_ ' Harry snarled, seeing the man who had betrayed his family and had managed to evade justice for nearly two decades.

Then a high, cold voice spoke. Harry couldn't remember the words that had been spoken but he could never forget that voice. It had haunted his dreams for over fifteen years, but it was impossible. The voice belonged to a man who had died over fifteen years ago, killed in the same attack that had nearly killed Harry's entire family and had given Harry his nickname among the squad, a scar in the shape of a lightning bolt on his forehead.

' _Voldemort!_ ' Harry realized, his eyes flying open once more. It was getting more and more difficult to remember what he had seen, as Harry's head felt like it was being used as a snare drum for a rock and roll solo. Gritting his teeth against the pain, Harry closed his eyes and saw Wormtail pick up a bundle from next to the cauldron. Peering out of the bundle was a twisted and grotesque caricature of a human child but the skin was pale as moonlight with two slits for a nose and blood red eyes that gleamed with delight and malice.

Wormtail dropped the creature into the cauldron and stepped away. The pain in Harry's head grew as dark smoke billowed from the cauldron with white sparks flashing in the cloud like lightning.

All movement and sound seemed to cease, Harry wasn't sure if it was for a moment or eternity, but then the cauldron erupted in a plume of black smoke. Harry couldn't tear his eyes away, even though his head was pounding worse than ever and his fingers felt hot and tingly, as the smoke seemed to thicken and take solid form. Out of the smoke stepped something humanoid: tall and thin with long skeletal fingers and skin as pale as snow and gleaming red eyes.

"I live!" the high, cold voice of Lord Voldemort cried out to the heavens, and then as thunder clapped above the monster, Harry cried out in pain as he felt something awaken in him, something hot and fiery, filling every crevice and inch of his body. Then blackness as the pain became too much as Harry fell limply on his bunk, his squad mates ripped from their slumber by his shout.

"Bolt!"

"What the bloody hell!"

"Harry mate! Are you all right?" a sharp voice asked as Harry felt a hand shake his shoulder.

Blearily Harry's eyes opened. Above him, Harry saw the blue eyes of his best friend, Tommy Williamson. They had met on the first day of basic training and had been inseparable since.

"Tommy?" Harry muttered as he tried to sit up but Tommy's hand kept him down.

"Whoa there mate," Tommy said, "take it easy. What happened?"

"It's nothing," Harry said pushing aside Tommy's hand and sitting up on his cot. "Just a bad dream. Sorry about that everyone, go back to sleep."

"Are you sure you are ok Harry?" Tommy asked. "You look like you've seen a ghost or something?"

"Don't worry about it mate," Harry. "Like I said it was just a bad dream is all."

"If you say so mate," Tommy said. He gave Harry one final look before climbing back into his bunk and rolling over and quickly fell back asleep. The others followed suit, climbing back into their bunks and fell back asleep.

But sleep would not come so easily for Corporal Harry Potter. He could feel his heart racing in his chest and could not get the sight of his younger brother tied to a grave marker nor the pale, snake-like visage of the monster that could only be Voldemort.

"It was only a dream," Harry murmured as he laid back on his cot, trying to clear his mind and get back to sleep. He and his squad had a patrol in the morning; they were scheduled to clear an area of the city that had been tagged by Intel as a hotspot for insurgents, and command wanted the area cleared. His instructors at basic training and at selection had told him to never miss a chance to get some sleep because you never knew when you would get another chance.

But as Harry closed his eyes and attempted to fall back asleep, he couldn't shake the strange sensation that had suddenly appeared in his gut just as he had awoken from his dream. He felt the tingling sensation grow all over his body, like ants crawling just beneath his skin and there was also the feeling deep in his gut that told him that his entire world had just changed. And Harry had no clue how right he was.

* * *

"You hear me Bolt?" the earpiece crackled in Harry's ear.

"I hear you," Harry answered. "Status report?"

"We have eyes on target, I repeat we have eyes on target," came the reply.

"Excellent," Harry said. "What is your position?"

"We are roughly five blocks west of your position," the voice said. "Be advised, the target has entered a residential building and is traveling with at least five guards, all armed."

"Roger," Harry said. "Any idea on how many people are inside the building?"

"No clue Bolt. But it is an apartment complex, five stories and looks like close to twenty flats per floor."

"Shite," Harry cursed. "All right team, stand by."

Harry turned to Tommy who was standing beside him. "So what's the plan boss?" Tommy asked.

"We need to know how many people are in that building," Harry said. "I do not want to send the men into a trap. We need more information before we breach."

"We might not get another chance at the target boss," Tommy argued. "Intel has been searching for Ombotwa for nearly two years, and we have a chance to grab him."

"I know that Merlyn," Harry said. "But we don't know what's waiting for us in there. Ombotwa has always been one step ahead of us, and I do not want to be walking into another one of his traps."

"Well you won't have a choice Potter," a new voice said. Harry and Tommy looked up to see an older man wearing the standard black fatigues of a soldier, but with a three square insignia on his shoulder. Both Tommy and Harry leapt to their feet and saluted.

"Captain," the two men said.

"At ease gentlemen," the captain said. "As I was saying, orders just came down from command. They want Ombotwa now."

"But captain, we have no credible Intel on what is waiting for us in that building," Harry argued.

"I understand that Corporal," the captain said. The tag on his jacket read Henderson. "But we don't have a choice, now tell Squad One to keep their eyes on that building. I don't want anyone leaving it without us knowing, and get your kits."

"Yes sir," Harry and Tommy said with a sharp salute. The two soldiers left the ops tent leaving the captain alone. Captain Archibald Henderson watched the two men, ignoring the queasy feeling that was brewing in his stomach. No soldier liked going somewhere without any actionable Intel, it usually led to disaster but orders were orders. Word was that the target was planning an attack on the capital sometime soon, and he was the mastermind behind the attack on the Ethiopian embassy three years ago.

The intelligence community really wanted Ombotwa, he was listed on most countries' most wanted list, and if they were willing to authorize such a mission, told Henderson that they were getting desperate. The only thing that Henderson could do now was trust was in his men to get the job done. He knew that Potter was one of the best up and coming operators in the regiment but any mission could take an unexpected turn, especially one like the capture mission he had just authorized.

"Attention!" Tommy barked as he and Harry entered the small tent. Four men leapt to their feet and snapped to attention.

"At ease," Harry said. The other men of his squad relaxed but their eyes were still sharp and focused solely on him. "All right, here's the mission. We have gotten confirmation that our target has holed himself up in an apartment building on the outskirts the city. And we have been given the job of escorting him to the base."

Harry noticed several of the men blinked at the order, and he knew that he was asking a lot of them, just like how the higher-ups were asking a lot of him, but Harry was proud that no one spoke up in protest.

"I know this is asking a lot, and that you all have reservations about this op, Lord knows that I do," Harry said, "but we have been given our orders and we ill get this done. This bastard has managed to escape justice for far too long, no more."

The squad straightened and their eyes grew hard. None of them liked knowing that Ombotwa had managed to slip away from capture nearly a half dozen times.

"We have eyes on the building and will be notified if the target tries to rabbit," Harry said. "We will be moving out at 0230 local, and this op needs to happen. And we will make it happen, understood."

"Yes sir," the squad said as one.

"Good, gather your gear men," Harry said. "Pack light on the grenades and explosives, I do not want any innocent casualties."

"Yes sir."

Harry nodded. "Merlyn come with me," he said to Tommy. The two men turned and left the tent leaving the squad to gather their equipment.

"What am I doing Tommy?" Harry asked.

"What do you mean Harry?"

"I am about to lead us into what is most likely a trap tonight," Harry said. "How many of us are not going to come back from this mission because Intel wants to rush things?"

"Look Harry, I don't know how to answer that question," Tommy said. "Everyday we take risks that no sane man or woman would or should take, and we do it to make sure no one else has too. This is just another one of those times, we just have to roll the dice and see what happens."

"And I'm worried that the dice will come up snake eyes," Harry said.

"Word of advice mate," Tommy said. "Don't tell that to the squad. They all look up to you, even if you aren't the oldest."

Harry sighed but nodded. What Tommy had said was true, even though Harry was the youngest of the squad by a couple of months, the entire squad looked up to and respected Harry, for some reason that Harry couldn't fathom.

"Let's grab some grub," Harry said and Tommy quickly agreed.

"Sound off," Harry said into the microphone attached to his helmet.

"Merlyn in position," Tommy's voice crackled in Harry's ear.

"Foxtrot in position."

"Echo in position."

"Eagle in position."

"Overwatch in position."

"Good," Harry said. "We move in 60 seconds from my mark. Remember, the target is to be captured alive if at all possible. But do not take unnecessary risks, and watch your fire, this is a danger close mission and there will be civilians in the area. All right, 60 second countdown starts now, mark."

Harry clicked the knob on his watch and out of the corner of his eye the numbers slowly roll down from sixty toward zero.

"Go!" Harry ordered.

Harry surged forward and kicked down the door in front of him. He quickly scanned the room, his senses all on high alert as he swept his weapon back and forth. The room was empty but Harry could tell that the room had been occupied very recently. Slowly, Harry stepped deeper into the room. There was a pot on the stove with steam rising from it but there were no plates on the table or counter. There was something wrong going on here, he could feel it.

He was about to kick down a door when Harry heard muffled shouting and crashing coming from above him. Harry's radio crackled in his ear but no coherent words could be heard over the crashing, shouting and muffled pops of suppressed gunfire.

"Report!" Harry barked into his radio. "Merlyn, Foxtrot, anyone, I need a status report now!"

The radio crackled and Harry thought he could hear Tommy's voice call out but it was unintelligible over the other sounds. Harry growled and kicked in the door in front of him. The door splintered under his boot and Harry rushed inside the darkened bedroom. He swung his MP5 back and forth across the room but the room was empty. Harry spun around and raced out of the apartment, heading toward the stairs at the back of the building.

"Merlyn, come in!" Harry barked as he took the stairs two at a time. "Foxtrot, Echo! Anyone, report!"

Harry only heard static as he reached the next floor. Kicking in the door, Harry raced down the hallway; he could hear shouting and crying from the apartment at the end of the hall.

"Merlyn!" Harry shouted as he reached the open door. Spinning into the room, Harry saw a family huddled together in the corner; a mother with her arms around her two children. Harry's gun came up and away from the mother.

"Where is Ombotwa?" Harry demanded in Pashto. But the woman just wailed and shouted, shaking her head.

Harry spun around when the building shook above him. He rushed out of the apartment and headed back to the stairs. "Merlyn, where are you?" Harry shouted in his headset. "Report!"

"Bolt, we found Ombotwa," Merlyn's voice crackled over the radio. "He is on the top floor, but he's heavily guarded. Could use some help boss."

"On my way," Harry said. "You just stay alive until I get there."

"Roger boss."

Harry shouldered open the door to the stairwell and raced up the next three flights of stairs to the fifth floor.

"I'm in the stairway on the east side of the building Merlyn, what is your position?" Harry whispered.

"We are pinned down at the west end of the floor," Merlyn answered. "There looks to be ten hostiles between us and you, and they seem to be moving toward you. Looks like they are planning on bugging out using the east stairwell. We will try and drive them back toward you."

"Roger that," Harry said. He quickly checked his weapons, making sure he had a full magazine in his primary weapon, an MP5, and his sidearm, a Glock 17. Seeing that they were both fully loaded, Harry grabbed a flash bang grenade and silently eased the door open.

"Flash bang in five seconds from my mark," Harry whispered into his headset. "Mark." Harry pulled the pin on the grenade and rolled it into the flat and closed the door.

"Three…two…one," Harry counted down. He heard the cries of pain and surprise as the flash bang went off. Harry kicked in the door and stepped into the flat. "No one move!" he shouted in Pashto.

Several of the men whirled around but Harry's MP5 barked and they fell where they stood.

"I said, no one move," Harry snarled, still in Pashto. He saw the rest of his squad stand up from behind their cover, their weapons trained on the terrorists. "Drop your weapons," Harry ordered, "drop them now!"

Instead of dropping their weapons, the men simply laughed.

"Typical Western infidels," an older man laughed in slightly broken and heavily accented English. "Do you truly believe that we would be so easily captured?"

Harry felt something very cold slide deep into his stomach, something wasn't right here and he knew it.

"Ilham Ombotwa, I presume?" Harry said, this time in English. The older man nodded. "You are to come with us, preferably still breathing but my orders are only to bring you with us, not in what condition you are in."

Ombotwa looked directly at Harry with what might have been an impressed look but Harry wasn't sure. "Do you really think that any of us will be going anywhere?" the man asked with a nasty smile. He raised his hand; in it was a cell phone with a blinking light. "Are you ready to meet Allah infidel? Because we are all."

To Harry, it seemed like time had just slowed down. He reached out toward Ombotwa who was smiling broadly at him. Harry's eyes widened as he saw Ombotwa's thumb come down on the screen of his cell phone and it turn bright red.

"NO!" Harry cried as the room around him exploded. Just before the world went red and black, Harry saw a shimmering sheen of blue surround him, and then he knew no more.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Well there you have it, the first chapter of my new story _The Power He Knows Not_. I know it has been a while since I last posted, and I am sure many of you are disappointed that this isn't a new chapter for another one of my stories but I am having trouble with the direction of my other stories at the moment and the best way I know how to get back on track to is write something different as to get my mind away from the issues I am having with that story. So I hope you all enjoy this new tale.

 **Edit 12/26/18:** I have been informed about some mistakes made in this chapter about the ranks of Harry and his men, so I have adjusted those.


	2. An Ending and a Beginning

**Disclaimer: _Harry Potter_ is NOT mine! He and all recognizable characters that inhabit the Wizarding World of _Harry Potter_ belong to JK Rowling, Warner Bros and Scholastic Books. I am just having some fun in JK Rowling**

The first thing that Andrew Potter noticed was the amount of noise he could hear. As he slowly came too, Andrew could make out several different voices all around him including his parents, the Headmaster and two others, a man and a woman, that he didn't recognize. He could feel something holding his hand and gently rubbing the top of it. Andrew guessed it was either his mother or his little sister considering the hand was soft and slightly smaller than his own.

"I do not care Albus," the unknown man shouted. "You-Know-Who has not returned; he is dead! There is no evidence to suggest such a thing, and I will not incite a panic by even entertaining the idea."

"Cornelius, you must do something," Andrew heard the Headmaster, Albus Dumbledore, argue. "You heard it directly from the mouth of Barty Crouch Jr. That this was all a plot to return Lord Voldemort to power, and that plot has succeeded."

"Excuse me Headmaster," Andrew felt a chill race up his spine at the sound of the woman's high-pitched and simpering voice. "All the evidence you claim to have is the word of a madman, a man who clearly lost his mind, and one who can no longer spew such outlandish lies."

"Because you had him silenced before he could testify Umbridge," Andrew was amazed at the venom coming from his father; even Snape didn't rate such disdain.

"That is Senior Undersecretary Umbridge, Auror Captain Potter," the woman hissed.

"I am not here as an Auror madam," James Potter growled. "I am here as a parent, and Lord James Charlus Potter of the Wizengamont, so you will be silent!"

Andrew heard someone snigger before his mother whispered, "Hush Rose."

"The man was an escaped convict from Azkaban," Cornelius Fudge, the Minister for Magic, shouted. "He was in Azkaban for heinous crimes against a close friend of yours Lord Potter, I would have thought that you would have wanted to see justice done."

"If that is your form of justice Minister, then no," James said. "I would have wrung every ounce of information from the bastard before shoving him through the Veil myself. And besides, you require Wizengamont approval to administer a Dementor's Kiss, even on an Azkaban escapee."

"I have the right to bring whoever I wish as protection when interviewing a potentially dangerous individual," Fudge argued.

"He was under guard by Minerva and myself Minister," Andrew heard his uncle Sirius say, entering the argument. "Surely, the Transfiguration Mistress of Hogwarts and a Senior Auror Captain would be enough to protect you from a bound and unconscious individual?"

"It is over and done with," Fudge said firmly. "It looks to have been no great loss, the man was out of his mind."

"And what about Fredek Gruber Minister?" James asked. "How will you explain his death?"

"The Tournament is a very dangerous event, and has claimed its fair share of unfortunate contestants," Fudge said mildly. "It was a tragic accident."

"It was murder," Lily Potter snarled.

"Was it now?" Umbridge simpered. "Well then it seems that our prime suspect would be your son Mrs. Potter. After all, he was the last person to see the young Mr. Gruber alive."

"Are you accusing my son madam?" James asked, fury lacing his voice.

"Of course not Lord Potter," Umbridge said. "Your wife was the one who suggested the Gruber boy's death was murder."

"You are wrong."

Andrew had had enough. He opened his eyes and slowly pushed himself up in the hospital wing bed. His leg throbbed, as he knew his bones were being knitted back together while his arm ached from where Wormtail had cut him but he refused to show any pain.

"Andrew!"

"Son!"

"Andrew my boy!"

"Wrong you say Mr. Potter?" Fudge asked.

"Yes Minister," Andrew said. "I was not the last person who saw Fredek alive, there is another."

"And who is that Mr. Potter?" Fudge asked with the air of indulging the request of a young child.

"Peter Pettigrew," Andrew said. "He was the one who killed Fredek."

"Pettigrew is dead, he has been dead for over a decade," Fudge said.

"So your only witness is a dead man," Umbridge said with a wide smile. "Not very convincing."

"You would be wise to not call my son a liar," James said, his eyes growing dark with anger.

"Pettigrew is alive, and I can prove it," Andrew said.

"And how would you do that?" Umbridge asked, her eyes gleaming with malice.

"You can view my memories," Andrew said. "I can give you my memory from everything that happened tonight."

Andrew noticed a flicker of something in both Fudge and Umbridge's eyes but it was gone much too quickly for anyone else to notice.

"Memories are not admissible at a trial," Fudge said.

"This is not a trial Cornelius," Dumbledore said. "This is only an investigation."

"Even so, how can we be sure young Mr. Potter actually saw anything," Fudge said. "It could have been anyone using Polyjuice Potion to look like Pettigrew."

"You can't use Polyjuice Potion to change into a dead person," Rose, Andrew's younger sister, said. "The Potion doesn't work like that." Lily, James, Sirius, Professors McGonagall and Dumbledore all gave the youngest Potter a smile while Umbridge and Fudge looked angry.

"That doesn't matter, someone could have just used a Glamour Charm to resemble Pettigrew then," Umbridge said.

"I will swear an oath," Andrew said.

"And that will only prove that you believe the person you saw was Peter Pettigrew, not that he or she actually was Peter Pettigrew," Umbridge said with a wide smile. "Minister, I believe we are done here."

"Yes, I believe we are," Fudge said. He took a leather bag out of his robes and set it down on the table next to Andrew's bed. "Your winnings Mr. Potter."

Andrew just stared at the Minister who quickly adverted his gaze. Without another word, the Minister and Undersecretary walked toward the entrance of the Hospital Wing. Just before they left the Wing, the pair stopped and turned back to the others.

"Dumbledore, You-Know-Who has NOT returned, he is dead, and I will not bring about a panic by saying otherwise," Fudge said. "And anyone inciting such a panic will face the consequences." The Minister and Undersecretary then swept out of the Hospital Wing without another word.

"That didn't go very well," James said sitting down next to Andrew's bed and his wife.

"What is he thinking Albus?" Minerva asked. "He cannot truly believe we would be making this up."

"I fear that Cornelius has fallen in love with his post so much that he refuses to let anything disrupt his worldview," Dumbledore said. "And he doesn't want to lose his place as Minister. I am sure that many of Voldemort's supporters will be focused on keeping news of Voldemort's return quiet, and will find Cornelius very willing to do the same."

"They will certainly have an easier time with Fudge sticking his head in the sand," Sirius said.

"I hope that I can count on all of your support," Dumbledore said. "We will need to gather our own support as well as the old crowd."

"We will be there, Albus," Lily said, looking at James who nodded. "That monster has taken too much from us, and we know that when he returned, he would target us again. He will rue the day he came after the Potters and my children."

"I shall take my leave to contact our friends then," Dumbledore said. "Andrew, I would like to review your memory of last night's events if I may?"

"Of course Professor," Andrew said. "Mum, would you?"

Lily nodded and conjured a small glass phial. She then touched her wand to Andrew's temple and slowly drew it away with a silvery thread hanging from its tip. Lily placed the strand in the phial and capped it before handing it to the Headmaster.

"Excellent, I shall leave you in the capable hands of your mother and Madam Pomfrey," Dumbledore said. The Headmaster swept out of the Wing without another word, Professor McGonagall following suit.

"Andrew, you should go back to sleep," Lily said. "I know you are still in pain, don't make me bring Poppy over and have her put you to sleep."

"Ok mum," Andrew said. He slid back down under his covers and laid back.

Lily smiled down at her son and leaned over and kissed Andrew on the forehead. "Your father and I will be here when you wake up. Sleep tight sweetheart."

Andrew gave his mother a small grin before closing his eyes. He wouldn't know it until the next day but just as he fell asleep, Andrew would utter one word "Harry."

"Come along Rose, you should go back to the Tower," Lily said. "Andrew needs his rest and so do you. I'll walk you back."

"Yes mum," Rose said. She got up from her seat next to Andrew's bed, kissed her brother on the forehead like her mother had before following Lily out of the Hospital Wing.

Sirius looked over at James as Lily left the Wing with Rose in tow. The eldest Potter was starring down at his son, his eyes swimming with anguish and anger. "Don't worry Prongs, we will get the bastard," Sirius said. "He will pay for what he's done to Andrew."

"I just feel so helpless Padfoot," James said. "He is my son, I am supposed to be the one that protects him but what can I do against Fate or Prophecy?"

"We train Andrew the best we can," Sirius said, "and we believe in him. That's all we can do I suppose. Andrew will wipe the floor with the bastard, you know that, I know that and soon everyone will know that."

"Thanks Padfoot."

"Anytime," Sirius said putting a hand on James' shoulder. "What about Harry? Are you going to tell him about this? We all know how protective Harry is of both Andrew and Rose?"

"I want to tell him Sirius but I'm not sure how too," James admitted. "How can I tell him that the monster that attacked us is back, and besides I don't know how to reach him? I might have to wait until Harry comes home on leave, and who knows when that will be."

"It will be all right James, I know it will," Sirius said as the two men looked down at the sleeping teenager.

* * *

Andrew awoke alone the next morning just before dawn. Weak sunlight was piercing through the early morning mist and clouds, and the windows of the Hospital Wing. Looking around, Andrew saw that there were no lights coming from Madam Pomfrey's office. Settling back in the bed, Andrew closed his eyes and tired to full back asleep but as soon as he closed his eyes, he saw a flash of green light and heard a high cold light. Shivering, Andrew resigned himself to staying awake until someone noticed.

"What am I going to do?" Andrew muttered, looking down at his hands. "How in the bloody hell am I supposed to beat Voldemort? He knocked me around like a ragdoll, I could barely keep up."

Andrew had known he was a prime target of Voldemort's ever since his fourth year when he and his sister had been attacked by a pair of Death Eaters that had escaped imprisonment when Voldemort had fallen in 1986 after the Dark Lord had attacked the Potters, and were hoping that the death of the Boy-Who-Lived would bring their master back to life. They had failed of course and were sent to Azkaban but the attempt had raised questions in both Andrew and Rose, and their parents finally answered those questions and told Andrew the entire story of the attack in 1986.

Harry, Andrew's older brother, had been watching over Andrew when the Dark Lord had broken in and attacked. And Harry had somehow lost his magic in the aftermath of the attack. No one was truly sure how Harry's magic had been stripped away but the prevailing theory was that Harry's magic had tried to protect him from the backlash of Voldemort's demise but it wasn't enough.

Andrew couldn't recall everything that had happened in the immediate aftermath of the attack but he did remember that his parents had been furious with the wizarding public and at Dumbledore especially due to the fact that the Headmaster had counseled James and Lily to send Harry away, away from the magical world since he was just a Squib now.

It took several years for the Potters and the Headmaster to reconcile, and even now there was still an underlying layer of tension and coolness between the elder Potters and the Headmaster. Even Andrew was wary of the Headmaster because of what Dumbledore had attempted to do by sending his older brother away.

When Harry had turned eleven and did not receive his Hogwarts' letter, Andrew was taken aside by his father and James had tried to explain to Andrew what was happening, and Andrew had understood as well as any six year old could possibly hope too. And when Andrew had entered Hogwarts, he made a promise to himself to become the best wizard that he could be.

Andrew had been Sorted into Gryffindor like both of his parents had been before him but the Sorting Hat had suggested that Andrew could have done well in all four Houses. But Andrew chose Gryffindor because he wanted to follow in his older brother's footsteps. Harry was sixteen when Andrew had started Hogwarts, and had decided to enter the Muggle military after finishing school. Andrew decided that he was going to be an Auror after Hogwarts, Lily and James both accepted Andrew's choice with some trepidation, much like they had with Harry's decision to join the military.

With a combination of his mother's brains, his father's magical power and his own determination, Andrew excelled during his time at Hogwarts. He became a prefect in his fifth year, and then Head Boy in his seventh, and of course was chosen as the Hogwarts' Champion for the Triwizard Tournament.

Andrew also knew that he had been accepted into the Auror Academy already, his father had been unable to keep the secret for long. When he first heard, Andrew had been afraid that he had only been accepted because of his fame as the Boy-Who-Lived but his father and Uncle Sirius assured him that wasn't the case, that Andrew had gained admission on his own merit.

But now with Voldemort returned and the Ministry refusing to believe it, Andrew figured that becoming an Auror was not in the cards, as least not until Voldemort was gone for good.

"Ah you are awake Mr. Potter."

Andrew wasn't truly surprised to find the Headmaster standing next to his bed. The man had quite an annoying habit of appearing suddenly, and without anyone noticing.

"Good morning Headmaster," Andrew said. "Is there something you need?"

"I was hoping to speak with you Mr. Potter," Dumbledore said.

"About what sir?"

"About your experience last night," Dumbledore said conjuring a comfortable chair with a flick of his wand. He sat down and put his wand away in a pocket of his robes. "You have gone through so much at such a young age and yet you continue to show the strength and will that so very few possess."

"Headmaster, please speak plainly," Andrew said. "I am still tired and sore, and am not in the mood for word games."

If Andrew hadn't been looking at the Headmaster so closely, he would have missed the fractional twitch in Dumbledore's eyes but he had been raised by the Marauders and had been taught to notice every detail, you never knew when you were about to be pranked.

"Very well Andrew," Dumbledore said, a smile back on his face. "As you know, the Prophecy has named you as the one who has the potential to defeat Voldemort once and for all, and while you are an exceptionally skilled wizard, we both know that Tom is even more skilled. I had hope that we would have more time; time for you to grow and learn more but with Voldemort's return, time is something we are quickly losing. I know that it has been your dream to become an Auror, and you would be an excellent one, but with the Ministry's current line of disregarding the truth, I don't think it would be wise to pursue that career, at this time."

"I agree Headmaster," Andrew said. "The Ministry would just use me as a poster boy, and ignore Voldemort until it was too late."

"A wise decision," Dumbledore said, nodding. "I might have a suggestion that I hope that you would consider in place of that career path."

"And what is that?"

"That you would consent to become the Defense against the Dark Arts Professor next term," Dumbledore said.

Andrew was stunned, him a Professor, preposterous!

"Now before you reject my proposal out of hand," Dumbledore said, "please consider it. You were an excellent student in the subject, receiving an Outstanding on your OWL-exam, and I have it on good authority that you received the same mark on your NEWT-exam. Your creation and leadership of that wonderful study group, as well as being a prefect and Head Boy, tells me that you would do just fine passing on your skills to the next generation. And most importantly, it would allow you to study the full extent of the Hogwarts library."

Andrew had to admit it was a tempting offer for sure. He would get the chance to protect people by insuring they could protect themselves, as well as search the library for any clue on how to defeat Voldemort.

"It is a very generous offer Headmaster," Andrew said. "I will give it much thought."

Andrew paused when he heard the door to Madam Pomfrey's office open. The Matron came bustling down the wing, a tray of potions trailing her.

"Good you are awake Mr. Potter," Poppy said. "Let us see how you are doing."

"Please think on my offer Mr. Potter," Dumbledore said as he Vanished the chair and turned to leave. "Oh I almost forgot to mention, there will be a meeting of the Order this evening here in the castle. I hope you and your friends would be willing to attend?"

"We will be there Headmaster," Andrew said as Poppy waved her wand over him, tutting softly under her breath.

"Excellent, until tonight Mr. Potter," Dumbledore said with a broad smile before he swept from the Hospital Wing.

"All right Mr. Potter, you seem to have improved from last night," the Matron said. "I need you to take these potions and I will have a house elf bring you some breakfast." She set the tray down next to Andrew's bed and handed him the first potion. Andrew quickly downed the foul tasting concoction and followed that up with two more. He has to swallow several times to force down the third and final potion but he managed to do so without voiding the contents of his stomach.

"Excellent," Pomfrey said, clearing away the phials and tray. "I will be right back with some breakfast."

"Thank you Madam Pomfrey," Andrew said through a thick and dry tongue. The Matron just smiled before heading back to her office.

Just then the Hospital Wing doors burst open and Andrew's mother and sister came racing up the ward with his father and Uncle Sirius following closely behind.

"Andrew!" Lily cried as she rushed to his bedside and engulfed him in a tight hug.

"Mum, I'm fine," Andrew whined but he was savoring the warmth of his mother's hug.

"You always say that, and we all know it is a lie," Lily said, with Rose nodding next to their mother. James and Sirius chuckled behind the two Potter women. "How are you really sweetheart?"

"Tired, sore, scared," Andrew admitted. "I don't know how I am going to do this mum. How can I defeat Voldemort when I couldn't even touch him yesterday?"

"That was yesterday son," James said. "You learn from this and you get better. That's all you can do. And you will defeat Voldemort, we all know you will and you won't have to do it alone. You are never alone Andrew, never forget that. No matter how much distance might separate us, all of us will be with you every step of the way."

Suddenly the weak sunlight probing through the clouds and windows didn't seem so weak. The sunlight and his father's words filled Andrew with a warmth that far surpassed anything Andrew had ever felt. James Potter was right, he wasn't alone and he would never be.

"Thank you all for coming," Dumbledore said as the door closed for the final time with a snap. "It has been sometime since our last meeting, and I had hoped that we would never have to meet in these circumstances again."

"So it is true then Albus?" Daedalus Diggle asked. "The Dark Lord has returned?"

"I am afraid so my friends," Dumbledore said. "Lord Voldemort has returned. And it seems that the Ministry is refusing to accept such a hard truth."

There was an outcry of horror and anger from many of the group.

"Please my friends peace," Dumbledore said, holding his hands up for quiet. "It is unfortunate that the Ministry is acting this way but we must press on. As I am sure many of you have noticed that there are some unfamiliar faces with us this evening. I am happy to announce that we have some new members to enter into our ranks."

"Albus, you can't possibly agree with this," Molly Weasley interrupted. "These children are all much too young."

"Mrs. Weasley, everyone here is of age and are children no longer," Albus said. "They are willing to join the Order to assist in the defeat of Lord Voldemort and his followers. The first war cost us much and we alone are too few to combat Voldemort and his Death Eaters."

Mrs. Weasley huffed but kept silent due to her husband, Arthur, placing a hand on her shoulder and pulling her back to her seat.

Andrew glanced over at his best friend, Benedict Granger, and caught the young man rolling his eyes. Andrew hid a grin of his own behind a raised hand. Benedict hated being treated like a child. His parents and older sister had always treated him like a baby growing up, as he was the youngest of the family, and that was why he acted the way he did. Benedict Granger had nearly broken the record for most detentions by a Hogwarts student, finishing behind only the Marauders and the Weasley twins. That wasn't to say that Benedict was a poor student or a bad person, it was just the opposite. Benedict finished in the top five of his class and was planning on following Andrew into the Auror Academy but after discovering what the Ministry was doing, he decided to not enter the Academy, unlike his elder sister Hermione who had been Head Girl in Andrew and Benedict's second year.

"I don't like this Andrew," Benedict whispered. "They aren't going to take any of us seriously, well except you. They all think we are just kids."

"It will be fine Ben," Andrew answered. "To be honest, they need us more than we need them. Look around, how many fighters do you see? A handful, maybe less. From what my mum and dad told me, the first war took a large toll on the main fighters for the Order. And those who survived have let themselves go to seed."

"Blimey Andrew, you sound just like your brother," Benedict said.

"He's the one who taught me to be observant," Andrew responded.

"So what is the plan Albus?" another older Order member asked. "With the Ministry acting as it is, what are we going to do?"

"We will have to spread the word that Voldemort has returned," Dumbledore said. "Quietly of course, as the Minister has made it quiet clear that anyone spreading a panic will face consequences."

"How do we do that Headmaster?" a young woman's voice asked. It was Benedict's sister, Hermione. "I am not saying Andrew is wrong but most people won't believe, or won't want to believe him. Is there any proof that we can show people to warn them?"

"Unfortunately, the only irrefutable evidence we have is Mr. Potter's memory of his abduction and Voldemort's return."

"So you are saying we have nothing to back up our claim that the Darkest wizard in centuries has returned from the dead after sixteen years," Hermione said. Andrew smirked at the older girl's words, as well as the angry looks and mutterings from some of the older members of the Order.

"Yes, we are in a difficult spot Ms. Granger," Dumbledore admitted. "The Ministry's refusal to see the truth will hamper us but we must strive on. We all know that Voldemort has returned and that gives us an advantage. Mr. Potter's escape from the graveyard has insured that we received some warning."

Hermione nodded and sat back down but Andrew could tell that she wasn't completely convinced. He wasn't either to be honest; the Headmaster seemed to be making light of the uphill battle that the Order was facing. Harry had spoken with Andrew the last time Harry was on leave that the Death Eaters that their parents had fought were much like the enemies that Harry had been tasked with fighting for Queen and country.

The fight that Andrew and his friends would be facing was an ideological war more than anything. Their enemy believed without a doubt what they were doing was right and just, and that made they very dangerous. They would be willing to do whatever it took to complete their mission, regardless of the destruction they wrought in the process. These men and women, these terrorists, were hiding in plain sight, behind a veneer of respectability and wealth, and that made it even more difficult to get rid of them. Most of the wizarding public just didn't care enough to take a stand against these monsters, or were too frightened to do anything lest they became a target. And that made it nearly impossible to do what the Headmaster was asking the Order to do.

"Why don't we just go after the bastards first?" another familiar voice asked. This time it was Ronald Weasley, a man who Andrew believe personified the brash Gryffindor stereotype: someone who always leapt before they looked and damn the consequences. "We know who they are from Andrew's memory. If we can capture them and make them tell us who else is a Death Eater, we could finish this in a matter of weeks."

"While that might seem like a sound strategy Ronald," the Headmaster said. "We are not sanctioned by the Ministry, and if we began attacking or kidnapping suspected or even known Death Eaters, we ourselves could wind up in Azkaban instead of our targets."

Even though Ron's idea was somewhat laughable, not to mention highly illegal, it did have some merit. The quicker a threat was taken care of, the less damage it could inflict. And the Order did know who most of the Death Eaters were, the same ones who pleaded the Imperious Curse defense after Voldemort's fall in 1986. But those targets were among the Ministry's, and especially the Minister's, biggest backers and they would make sure to stop any attempt to capture them, and legal attempt anyway.

Andrew barely listened through the rest of the meeting, not that much was actually accomplished. When the Headmaster finally called an end to the meeting, Benedict had to nudge Andrew awake, he had drifted off that much.

"So Andrew, what are we going to do?" Benedict asked as the meeting broke apart.

"Give me a few days to come up with something," Andrew said. "I will send you a note through the usual channels."

Benedict nodded and moved off to join his sister who was waiting for him at the door.

"Are you alright Andrew?" Lily asked when she, James and Sirius appeared at his side.

"I am ok mum, just a little tired," Andrew admitted.

"You look dead on your feet," Lily fussed. "Come on, let's get you back to the Hospital Wing. I spoke with Poppy and Minerva, and they agreed to let you and Rose leave the castle early tomorrow instead of waiting until end of term."

Andrew gave his mother a tired yet grateful smile. He loved Hogwarts but the Potter family home was different. There he didn't have to worry about prying eyes or always being in the spotlight, he could just be Andrew. And being just Andrew sounded right about now.

 **A/N: Well, there you have it, the newest installment of _The Power He Knows Not_. This chapter we got to meet some new characters as well as some well known ones, and we dive into some familiar topics from _Harry Potter_ canon. I hope to start a more regular posting schedule but my current employment doesn't make things easy. I have quite a few chapters outlined but not written out just yet. I do hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season and New Year, and until next time,**

 **SlyNinjaKnight**


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